Islamia College Peshawar VC kidnapped

'Militants' kidnap another VC
Peshawar, Sept 08: The vice-chancellor of Islamia College Peshawar
(Chartered University), Ajmal Khan, was kidnapped by suspected militants
when he left his residence here at Professors Colony for his office on
Tuesday, sources said.

The kidnapped vice-chancellor is a close
relative of Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan and
Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti.

He served University of
Peshawar as provost and later as registrar. He also remained
vice-chancellor of Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan. He was appointed
its first vice chancellor when the historical Islamia College was
upgraded to the status of university in 2008.

A source in
University of Peshawar said that Mr Khan was going to his office in his
official vehicle bearing registration number A-9450 when six bearded men
armed with Kalashnikovs stopped him and bundled him into another
vehicle. His official vehicle and driver, Mohibullah, were also taken
away.

The station house officer concerned, Waqar Khan said that a suspect identified as Yousuf, a resident of Khairabad area,
riding a white colour Corolla motorcar bearing registration number
LOR-831 was arrested at Karkhano Market checkpost. The suspect, he said,
was in such a hurry that he also met an accident at the checkpost and
hit a motorcyclist.

"The suspect has long hairs and his
language shows that he is a hardcore criminal. He has given some clues
about the gang of kidnappers," he said. A pistol was also recovered from
his possession.

"Our sources believe that Taliban are responsible for the kidnapping," he said.

An official of Campus police station said that the vice-chancellor had
received some threatening letters and he was provided proper security at
his office and residence but he had refused to accept police guards at
his residence.

The official said that the kidnappers were seen
returning through the Regi Road, but it could not be ascertained if they
had shifted the vice-chancellor to the nearby Jamrud area of Khyber
agency or moved towards Mohmand region. "But there are maximum chances
of his shifting to Jamrud," he said.

Mr Khan became the second
vice-chancellor, who was kidnapped by suspected militants. Earlier, the
vice-chancellor of Kohat University of Science and Technology, Dr
Lutfullah Kakakhel, was kidnapped on Nov 6, 2009, and was later on set
free in June last.

Some employees of University of Peshawar
pleading anonymity said that the security of Professors Colony,
located out of the university, was next to nil. They said that the rest
of professors were also not safe in the area. They said that matters
relating to security of the colony had also been brought into the notice
of authorities concerned but no police guards were deployed there on
permanent basis. Dawn

VC kidnapping condemned
Bannu: The Bannu University of Science and Technology (Bust)
Vice-Chancellor Asmatullah Khan on Tuesday condemned the abduction of VC
Islamia College University Peshawar and asked the government to recover
him early.

Vice Chancellor Asmatullah Khan said
the government should provide security to the vice-chancellors in the
same pattern like what the commissioners, deputy inspector generals of
police and district coordination officers had been provided.

He said the vice chancellors worked hard to provide wide range of opportunities to youth of the nation to get quality education in the public sectors.

The
VC said the sense of insecurity was the main hurdle for the vice
chancellors in the way of maintaining productive educational environment
for youths in the institutions.

It may be added that the vice
chancellor of Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST) Dr
Lutfullah Kakakhel was released after keeping him in detention for 10
months.

Teachers of Bahria Foundation School protest for raise in salary
Rawalpindi: After waiting for nine to ten years for salary increase
and up-gradation, 90 teachers of Westridge branch of Bahria Foundation
School junior and senior branches, forced at the hands of poverty and
price-hike, decided to go on strike while the administration was not
ready to listen to their demands and blocked their way to enter the
premises.

More than 90 teachers of all the four branches of Westridge
branch of Bahria Foundation School junior and senior branches here on
Tuesday demanded for the raise in their pay-scale as their salary is not
enough to meet the prevalent price-hike.

The teachers said that the government has increased 50% salaries of the
government employees and Bahria Foundation being a semi-government
organisation should increase the salary by 30% at least. The teachers
started their strike on Friday, the students were abruptly given off on
Monday morning and were sent to their homes at around 9.30 a.m.

All
the teachers were not allowed to enter the college premises for an hour
on Tuesday, as the administration was not ready to listen to their
demands. The teachers said all of them are
educated people and conducting peaceful protest for salary rise. The
teachers who are working for the last nine or ten years were given no
incentives and substantial increment. Moreover these were fined in case
they were late even for a minute.

"Till now we have not been issued
any service card, we want our salary packages to be revised,
furthermore, we should be notified of our yearly raise. There is no
differentiation between the raise and increment. We are not given our
pay scale slips as the salary comes in our account. Everything should be
documented and notified to us. There are even classrooms without fans
in which children suffer due to tremendous heat.

There is no standby
generator or UPS installed for the classes. There are other problems
also like there is no staff room for the teachers, no library for
children and children are also denied any recreational facility. How can
we work under such conditions. Children are not allowed to do any
function and no Eid Milan parties are allowed, even the Annual Day is
not celebrated, no trophies are given to the students on their
tremendous achievements.

Even all the teachers are called in summer
and winter vacations and have to work accordingly. Vacations
remuneration is paid on daily wages, which is reimbursed till February
or March. Teachers who have done MSc are working on mere Rs8,000. When
the parents are charged around Rs3,000 per child why can't they pay us
handsome salaries. Moreover, no experience certificates are given to us
after leaving the job. We are pressurised by different means to
discontinue our strike. Until and unless our demands are met, we will
continue our strike," the teachers said.

When we tried to
meet Principal Bahria Foundation College Commodore (r) Mohammad Younis
he denied to talk to this scribe.

Director Education and Training
Bahria Foundation Khan Akbar said that their
head office is in Karachi and all the policies are formulated there. We
are only following their rules here.

"Teachers delegation is here
and we are sorting the matter out. When we induct the teachers in Bahria
Foundation we pay them according to their pay scale categories. Fifty
per cent of our income goes to Naval Headquarters. There are 15 stages
of pay scale packages and teachers are paid according to the budget. We
have to meet other expenses like rent and teachers salary also.

O level distinction
Islamabad: Hanaan-ul-Haque, a student of the Schola Nova,
obtained two A* grades in Pakistan Studies and Islamiat and A grade in
Urdu in the Cambridge 'O'level Examination, says a press release.
Hanaan-ul-Haque is the son of Mohammad Haqbab. The news